The present invention relates generally to a lifting device. More particularly, it concerns a device for lifting an object which is configured to maintain the horizontal integrity of at least a portion of the lifted object.
Often situations arise where an object, such as a piece of furniture, must be lifted in order to retrieve an article which is underneath the object, or to place an article, such as a support, underneath the object. The act of lifting an object of significant size and weight is difficult and may pose a risk of injury. Further, the task of simultaneously lifting the object and retrieving an article, or placing an article under the object in a specific location, is especially inconvenient and difficult for a single person to perform.
Additional situations may arise where an object must be raised to a certain height and then fixed to a second object while suspended. For example, to install a tire on an automobile, the tire must be lifted and affixed to a wheel base. Such a task requires the simultaneous effort of lifting, aligning, and affixing, which can often be inconvenient and difficult for one person to perform alone.
Situations of these types occur regularly in certain industries. For example in the cleaning industry, and more particularly, in the carpet cleaning industry, a technician is required to lift furniture to place one or more support articles, such as skidders, blocks, or tabs, underneath the furniture prior to cleaning. Once the skidders are in place, the furniture may be moved with ease, and with little risk of damage or wear to the carpet. Alternatively, support blocks may allow cleaning under the furniture without moving it from the area to be cleaned, due to the increased height between the bottom of the furniture and the floor.
In the industry of automotive repair, a mechanic often finds himself changing, or rotating the tires of an automobile for a customer. In this case, the side of the car on which the designated tire is located may be raised using a jack, and the tire removed. Once the repaired or new tire is ready, it must be properly aligned with the lugs, and then affixed to the wheel base. As the side of the car is raised, the tire must be simultaneously lifted, aligned with the lugs, and affixed to the wheel base. The performance of such tasks simultaneously is inconvenient and difficult.
When placing an article under a lifted object, it may be desired or necessary that a certain portion of the object come to rest upon the article. For example, when placing skidders under a sofa with legs, it is necessary that the legs come to rest upon the skidders. Therefore, each skidder must be placed with precision in a spot on the floor where it can be predicted with confidence that the leg will come to rest when the sofa is lowered. In order to increase the convenience and accuracy of making such a prediction, the integrity of the horizontal positioning of at least a portion of the sofa must be maintained. Otherwise, if the entire sofa travels horizontally while it is being lifted, the location where the lifted portion will come to rest when it is lowered will be difficult to estimate.
Prevention of horizontal traveling of an object due to lifting may also be desired in certain circumstances in order to prevent damage or wear on the object itself, or the floor on which it rests. For example, a dining room table which is allowed to scrape horizontally for any distance across a finished wood floor may cause marring or scratching to the floor. Further, the dragging of an appliance, such as a washing machine may cause damage to the floor and the appliance. In such a case, it would be desirable, if not imperative, to lift the object and place or retrieve an article thereunder without causing any horizontal movement of the unlifted portion.
It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a lifting device which facilitates the lifting and lowering of an object of substantial size and weight. In addition, it has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a lifting device which can be operated with one hand, allowing a user to simultaneously perform a second function in addition to the lifting. In addition, it has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a lifting device which allows an object to be lifted while maintaining the integrity of the horizontal position of at least a part of the object. In addition, it has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a lifting device which allows the lowering of a raised object into the same original horizontal position is desirable.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a lifting device having an elongated handle member configured to be grasped by a user, and a lifting arm coupled to the handle, and configured to engage an object. The handle member and the lifting arm are coupled at a vertex and advantageously form an obtuse angle therebetween. Further, at least one wheel is coupled to the device, near or at the vertex.
In one aspect, the elongated handle member and the lifting arm may be single integral elongated shaft. In another aspect, the handle member and the lifting arm may be rigidly connected making the angle formed therebetween a fixed angle.
In one aspect, the at least one wheel may be a pair of wheels coupled on opposite sides of the device. In another aspect, the at least one wheel may be fixed to the lifting arm. In a further aspect, the at least one wheel may be fixed to the vertex. In yet another aspect, the vertex advantageously can have an elevation of between approximately 1 and 6 inches above the ground.
In one aspect, the lifting device advantageously has a working position height of less than approximately 3 feet, and a length of less than approximately 4 feet. In yet another aspect, the working position height of the lifting device may be less than approximately 2 feet, and the length less than approximately 3 feet.
In one aspect, the lifting device may include an engagement plate, coupled to the lifting arm, configured to engage an object to be lifted. In a further aspect, the engagement plate may be a flat plate. In another aspect, the engagement plate may have a plurality of planar surfaces forming an obtuse angle therebetween. In yet another aspect, the planar surfaces of the engagement plate may form an acute angle therebetween. In a further aspect, the planar surfaces of the engagement plate may form a right angle therebetween. In another aspect, the device may further include an extension arm configured to detachably engage a distal end of the lifting arm. The extension arm may terminate in an engagement plate for engaging a portion of an object, which is located more than approximately 1 foot above the floor. Such an engagement plate may be of any of the above-recited configurations for the engagement plate at the distal end of the lifting arm.
In one aspect, the lifting device may be configured to pivot between: 1) a first orientation in which the lifting arm is at a first lower elevation and the handle member is at a first higher elevation and forms an acute angle with the ground, and a 2) second orientation in which the lifting arm is at a second higher elevation and forms an acute angle with the ground and the handle member is at a second lower elevation.
The present invention also encompasses a method of lifting an object using the lifting device. Such a method includes providing a lifting device as disclosed herein, engaging a portion of an object with the lifting arm of the device, applying a downward force on the handle member of the device, to lower the handle member and raise the lifting arm, thus lifting the portion of the object, and simultaneously horizontally displacing the lifting device to arrest horizontal displacement of the entire object, and maintain the horizontal position of at least a portion of the object.
In one aspect, only a portion of the object may be lifted, and another portion of the object may not be lifted. In such a case, the object pivots about a horizontal axis created by the unlifted portion of the object. In another aspect, the entire object may be lifted.
In one aspect, the downward force applied to the handle member may be applied to the handle with a single hand. In a further aspect, the method further includes simultaneously performing a second function near a distal end of the lifting arm with a second hand. In one aspect, the second function may be placing a support under the lifted portion of the object at a place on the ground which was in contact with the object. In yet another aspect, the method may further include lowering the object to rest upon the support.
In one aspect, the method of the present invention may also include the steps of removing the force applied to the handle member to lower the lifting arm and simultaneously horizontally displacing the lifting device, in a direction opposite to an original direction of displacement, in order to arrest horizontal relocation of the object and return the object to its original horizontal position. In another aspect, the method of the present invention may also include the steps of vertically aligning the lifted object with an elevated point to which the object is to be affixed, affixing the lifted to the point, and removing the lifting device from under the lifted object.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Other features of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the invention, taken with the accompanying drawings and claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention.